Welcomed Concern
by Muldoon22
Summary: 5 times Natasha tended to Steve's wounds.
1. 1st Time

There are many things that annoy Natasha Romanoff. They include wannabes who try to take over the world, Tony Stark, when people invade her privacy, Tony Stark and recently, and baffling to her, Steve Rogers returning injured from missions.

The first time it took her off guard, with everyone minus Steve relaxing in Stark Tower. She sat by a window, reading a book when Steve entered. His blue uniform was stained in charred black dust and red blood. He sported a split lip, a cut above his left eyebrow and a bloody nose. "You alright there, captain?" Clint asked, as Steve staggered in. "I'm good." he replied. Natasha just kept looking at him, frozen in surprising shock. "I think I need to lay down awhile." as he past the group and towards the elevators. She waited a few minutes before excusing herself and headed for Steve's floor. As she walked in, Steve turned around to see who it was. "Agent Romanoff. How can I help you?" She kept silent until she was a few inches in front of him. "Show me the rest." she demanded. "Rest of what?" he asked. "Don't play dumb with me, you are limping and holding your hand on your chest. Show me the other injuries." Steve knew the jig was up and lowered his hand to his side. A bullet hole was revealed. He then rested one hand on a wall to keep himself sturdy as he lifted his limp leg up. A shard of glass was embedded deep in his ankle. Out of instinct she ordered him to sit down and produced a set of tweezers from her pocket. She took them and inserted them into his billet wound. He winced as she pulled the projectile out. "Lift up your leg." he complied and she pulled the shard of glass out. After that she stood up and began to exit. "Thank you." he called to her. She turned back around and in a calm demeanour replied. "If you ever conceal your injuries from me again, I won't be pulling out the bullets, they'll be pushed deeper in." and with that she left, leaving Steve stunned.

_More to come!_


	2. 2nd Time

The second time was a week later, during a battle against the Skrulls. She was tucked away in a building, providing cover for Thor and Tony. As she fired a body came flying through the wall and getting trapped under the rubble. The person slowly clawed his way through and revealed himself to be Steve. He had a massive gash on his head and it seemed his wrist was broken. She immediately slid over to him. "Where are you hurt?"

Head. Wrist. Back is throbbing a bit as well."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"100%"

Moments later, Agent Hill shouted the all clear. The Skrulls were defeated. Natasha immediately tended to Steve, wrapping his hand in a cast and cleaning his face of all the blood and grime.

"Miss Romanoff, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you cared about me."

"I prefer to keep the ones I care about alive. Which reminds me. Steve Rogers, I forbid you to die."

Steve looked confused. "How can I make that kind of promise?"

"You can and you will. If you don't, and you die, ill kill myself just to haunt your afterlife. You understand?"

Steve nodded, looking bewildered.

"Can you stand?"

Steve struggled to stand. Natasha helped him up. "See you on the quinjet." and she walked away.

Steve watched as she walked. "I think I'm in love." he said to himself before following the spy back to the quinjet.


	3. 3rd Time

The third time was different. There were no gashes or cuts or bruises. No sprains, snaps or fractures. She finds him, sitting on the floor of his suite, looking out the window. Through the reflection she sees his face, solemn and sad.

"Miss Romanoff. You sure know how to be quiet." he mumbled.

"It's my craft. And for the last time, call me Natasha."

The silence lingers as she slides down in front of him, looking out the window as well.

"It's overwhelming, isn't it?" she asked.

"Manhattan was large in my day, but not this...shiny. The city is like a nightlight now, always glaring through your window."

"So that is why you're awake at 3:41 in the morning?"

He shrugged slightly. "Partially."

Natasha interest perked up. "What is the other contributor?"

He looked at her, a pained look in his eyes. He then turned back towards the outside. "Peggy Carter died 4 hours ago."

Natasha felt her expression change into sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"I never understood why people apologize. You didn't kill her, cancer did. Still, I never got to give her that dance."

She saw tears well up in his eyes, but never fall. She stood up and offered out her hand. "Stand up."

He looked up at her, confused. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you that dance. I may not be no Peggy Carter, but I can try."

Steve smiled slightly and accepted her hand. He placed one hand on her lower back and kept the other entangled in Natasha's.

"Do we need music for this?" he asked as they swayed.

"It late in the morning and it might wake everyone. Besides, music isn't mandatory.

Steve accepted this and continued. After a while, she rested her head against his chest. He took note of this and moved his hand down to her back as well, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. He gently rested his head on top of hers.

"I don't think I want this moment to end." he said.

_Me either _she thought to herself. She looked up at him. "You're a natural dancer, Steve."

He smiled. "Thank you. For this." he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Anytime." she replied. The night progressed and they soon tired. She fell asleep on top of Steve's bed while he still puddered about.

She woke the next afternoon. As she opened her eyes, she saw she had Steve in her arms. She panicked for a moment until she noticed he was on top of the sheets and she in them. Both were also fully clothed.

She smiled to herself and decided to fall back asleep.


	4. 4th Time

The fourth time came one day later. A rumour that Whiplash was holding people hostage in a rundown mill attracted the attention of the Avengers. Steve commanded everyone to wait for his signal as he went in to check it out. Mere seconds later, the building exploded. The suddenness of it and remembering their tender moment the night before caused Natasha to just yell out "STEVE!".

He staggered through the rubble, visibly wounded, with burns and cuts scattered across his body. Once he made it outside of the ruins he collapsed to the ground. She was by him in a heartbeat. She checked for a pulse and was satisfied when she located one. She was greatly angered when the medical team pushed her out of the way and hauled Steve out of there. She promptly followed them to the ambulance and handcuffed herself to Steve's gurney, swallowing the key. Knowing they were not getting rid of her, the medics shut the back doors and began the drive to the hospital. She gently ran the back of her hand down his face, causing him to groan a little. She immediately stopped. "No," he said "it's not you. That felt pretty nice."

She began to run her hand down again as the ambulance slowed to a halt. The back doors flung open.

"Ma'am, are we able to bring him inside or will that be a problem?"

She begrudgingly picked the lock to the cuffs and allowed the medics to cart Steve away. He jumped down out of the ambulance as a SHIELD SUV came racing up.

Thor came bolting down out of the sky. "How is Lord Steven?"

"He's stable." she replied.

"Tasha, what was with the whole chaining yourself to his gurney thing?" Clint asked.

"I don't like being pushed aside. Especially when someone I love is injured."

"Someone you love?" Tony repeated. "Gentlemen, it appears the Black Widow has a crush."

"Knock it off, Stark." Bruce said, coming out of the SUV. "Natasha, which door did they take him through?"

"I think the second."

"Ok, burn unit." he said as he led the way inside. They passed several rooms until they found the one they were operating Steve in. Bruce opened the door and entered.

"Sir, you can't be in here."

"I'm Dr. Banner, I oversee all surgeries of any Avenger. What extent are the damages?"

* * *

Thor, Clint, Tony and Natasha sat in silence in the waiting room. Clint was muscling up the courage to talk to Natasha. Finally he went for it.

"Stark does have an interesting point, Tash. Do you love him?"

Natasha kept looking at her hands before looking up at him and nodding.

"I don't know why. I just can't stand the idea of him dying. I must seem pathetic."

He patted her hand. "Tash, there's nothing wrong with loving someone. If I didn't have Bobbi, I'd have no reason to go home from SHIELD during my off time. It seems you've finally found that person."

She smiled. "Thanks, Clint."

Bruce entered the waiting room. Everyone stood up.

"He's recovering. Doctor's say no visitors are allowed, so-"

"Screw that." she snarled, walking past Bruce and into the ER. She located Steve and walked in to sit down on one of the chair's beside his bed. She took ahold of one of his hands and watched his while he rested. She spent the night there, watching the burns fade.


	5. 5th Time

The fifth time was the most volatile. Two months after the mill explosion, they were in the Czech Republic. It was more like an intervention mission, as an all out war was raging on through the country's capital of Prague.

"Hill, get your men over to the fountain, provide ground cover for Barton's snipers." he commanded. Hill complied and led 10 other agents towards the fountain.

"Natasha, I want you to be a runner. Use the alleys to scout out how far the army extends to. Stark will then-"

He was interrupted by a bullet passing through his head, causing him to slump over immediately. Natasha struggled to process what just happened as she went over to him. The bullet went through the side of his head and immediately exited through the front, though both holes were very close together.

"S-Steve?" she stammered, shaking his limp body as she struggled to keep from freaking out. "Steve, wake up. Steve!" she bellowed, furiously shaking him. She removed his mask. It was a clean shot.

"Steve Rogers, you are not allowed to die, remember? So wake up now, or I'm going to have to come with you."

No response.

She got teary eyed and angry. She sat him up straight and shook his shoulders. "Steven Rogers, you wake up right now, dammit! It's rude to defy an order from a lady!"

When there was still no response, she gave in to the tears and began to cry. She held him close and cried into his shoulder. "I love you, Steve. I'm sorry I never got to tell you that. I love you."

As she continued to weep, Steve's hand slowly began twitching and soon moved to rub her back in comfort. She didn't notice at first, but she soon froze when she heard him speak. "I love you too, Nat."

She immediately moved to look him in the face. Sure enough his eyes were open and a small smile was on him, but it seemed to be taking a lot of energy to do so.

"But you were shot in the head!"

"I think it was more of a graze. Kinda just knocked me out." he strained.

Natasha's face soon turned mad and she slapped him. "You scared me. I thought you were dead!"

"I'm not allowed to, remember?"

She laughed as she locked her lips onto his. He reached for his shield and covered him and Natasha from the raging battle as they embraced.


	6. 1 Time Steve Tended to Natasha

And One Time Steve Tended to Natasha.

She was surrounded by them. A group of gangbangers who followed her into an alley while she was returning to Stark Tower. It was key to keep her alias and her abilities hidden so she couldn't attack them with her black belt jujitsu.

"Now why did you think running from us was a good idea?" one asked, pulling her towards him.

"Because I find people like you to be incredibly stupid, therefore I ad no intention of further socializing with you." she replied, spitting in his face.

The guy wiped it off and backhanded her to the ground.

"What's going on here?" a voice echoed from the foot of the alley. The gang and Natasha turned to see Steve walking towards them. He spotted her on the ground and crouched down next to her.

"What happened?" he asked, as she hid the red mark on her face with her hand. He gently pulled it down to reveal it. He looked up and glared at the guy who hit her.

"Think you're tough ganging up on one woman?"

"And what are you gonna do about it?" the gangster replied, pulling out a knife, only for his arm to be twisted around and punched in the throat. Natasha watched as Steve proceeded to knock all 14 of the gangbangers to the ground, groans of pain polluted the air. Steve turned his attention back to the guy with the knife and stepped on his twisted arm, causing him to howl in pain.

"What's your name?" Steve asked.

"Terrance." he painfully replied.

"Terrance, if I see you hitting ANYONE ever again, I won't hesitate to rip off your other arm. You understand?"

Terrance shook his head rapidly. Steve removed his foot and walked back to Natasha, picking her up and cradling her in his arms.

"Why didn't you fight back?" he asked.

"I'm not allowed to. SHIELD protocol."

"I see."

As they walked, he looked down into her eyes.

"If you ever conceal your injuries from me again, there'll be a price to pay."

Natasha smiled at the nostalgia that comment brought. "What type of price?"

"How bout a kiss?"

"I think I can pay that." and she leaned up to kiss him.

_fin_


End file.
